The Plant Protection Department (PPD) functions in laboratories for nemathology, bacteriology, virology, mycology and entomology. Basic applicative activities are performed through the following fields:

Pesticides tests
- Biological and chemical tests of plant protection products are carried out.

Consultancy services
- Together with other members of Plant Protection Service we transmit our knowledge to the growers in the form of consultations with advisers, technologists and producers and as talks on different meetings.

Identification of harmful organisms
- Determinations of plant diseases, pests and weeds (plant species) are carried out, answers to problems are given and protective measures are recommended.
PPD participates in the national survey and monitoring of harmful and quarantine organisms. This work is based on expert examinations, monitoring, systematic research. It is based on three main segments:

• diagnosis, in frame of which laboratory analyses for the presence of viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects and nematodes are made, various diagnostic techniques are developed and introduced, and the collection of antibodies, pathogens and test plants for the diagnostic work is maintained.

• support to official organ, in frame of which the PPD participates in the pest risk analysis, prepares expert opinions, reports and publications and monitors the appearance and spreading of harmful and quarantine organisms in the Republic of Macedonia .

• forecasting and warning service for pests and diseases which uses field observations of growth stages for major agricultural plants, monitoring of economically important harmful organisms, meteorological data measurements and other data. The collected data combined with some forecasting models are used for warnings and plant protection recommendations.